Connecticut western news., 1887-09-14
A BRAVE COWARD.


 remembered I woke up very early that morning, with that dim sense of something important being about to happen which so often inserts itself into tho brain of the partially aroused sleeper.
 Without opening my eyes, began drowsily wondering what it was. Did expect my commission2 No; that ar rived three months ago. Was I to join my regiment2 No; I had already done that, and was now settled in barracks in Q small Irish garrison town with an un- pronounceable name. Then 1 remember 1 dozed off again, only to start up and wonder wh,t on earth it was.
 The start did it. I opened my eyes, and knew it was the 24th of June, the day our fellows had arranged to give their picnic in Arrangounick Wood.
 Of course l had gone to sleep thinking of it, dreamt of it, and now all my plans rushed into my brain; how that I, Lieu tenant Eric Maurice, H. NJ. Forty-eighth Royal Blues, stood pledgcd-at any rate, in my own mind-on that day to gain for my own the kindest little heart, the merriest blue eyes, the rosiest lips in all the Emerald Isle. ' -s-@ = That all these belonged to Norah O'Cregan need not tell you; for if you have ever heard of that military town of Houstgoron, you have heard, too, of Norah.
 Once had fully eomprehended all that was before me, jumped out of my bed into my tub, singing, whistling and shouting, as is my wont during tha pro- gresslon of my toilet. Walls in barracks are notably not of the thickest, and l received many interruptions to my song ''When and how shall earliest me-e-et herl What are the words she first shall sayln
 ''Bother you!" shouted Tompkins from the room on the left, and crash came a boot hurled viciously against the wall.
 By what name shall lear-rn to gree-et her
 'You tr'-this from Williams on the right, accompanied by tapping, as of a brush. "Can't you let fellow sleep2"
 "I know not now, but shall kno-ow some
 day"
 At this juncture my door was burst violently open, and in came Tompkins himself in an unbccoming state of un. dress and another boot held menacingly up in the air. This, however, he drop. ped when he saw me already dressed and fixing crimson rosebud in my coat the exact shade of the silk handkerchiel whose corners showed knowingly from my pocket.
 ''Whew !-wheww he calmly re. marked, seating himself on my bed. 'Is that it7 Poor fellow" And he slowly inspected me from head to foot. "Don't you think" he continued, ''that flower leans little too much to the left2 Il might fall out, you know, and then al the heavy work would fall on the hand kerchief; you can't expect it to do tn, business unsupported. But stay, dea boy; alter nothing. As yon are, 70, are"
 But here I left the room. This ma, s always irritated me almost beyond en durance, and I never could understand how any one in this wide world could find amusement in his foolish remarks
 looked at my watch. Good gra cious! It wanted still three hours to tn time we were to start Breakfast nigh be made to last one, but what to do wit the other two rather puzzled me. went outside and walked up and down but was soon driven in again by seein Tompkins' ugly face watching me wit broad grin from his window.
 However, the time passed somehow and saw no more of Tompkins, and be gan to hope that after all he was nc coming with us. This hope lasted unt I was seated on the drag, when sudder ly I heard his loud voice as he mounte the steps to the top.
 "Nevcr know if I feel most like cil GUS or bank holiday on this thing" h was saying.
 And as his head appeared over tn seat opposite mo, and his eye caugf mine, he paused, put up his eye-glasst , and slowly surveyed me from my fe. upward, until his eye rested on my ros' bud, when he gently waved his hand intimate that it inclined too much to tf left, burst into loud guffaw and s, down.
 This added to the annoyance alread fslt and declining to take any part : f.6a1S 61ru1 1n5 1nnf